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CNJ 

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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF. CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/addressbyrevcharOObrigrich 


ADDRESS 


BY 


Rev.  CHARLES  A.  BRIGGS,  D.D. 


ON  OCCASION  OF  HIS 


i:i<Tj^xJGrTj:E=(.A.'rxc>Jsr 


DAVENPORT    PROFESSOR 


l^rtPFiD  anb  fjp  QognatF  JGLangnagFS 


IN  THE 


UNION  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY, 
NEW    YOHK    CITY. 


NEW  YORK: 
Press  of  E goers  A  Sherwood,  94  and  9f]  Nassau  Street. 

18  7  6. 


ADDRESS 


BY 


Rev.  CHARLES  A.  BRIGGS,  D.D. 


ON  OCCASION  OF  HIS 


iisr.A^xja-xjp^..^TiorT 


AS 


DAVENPORT    PROFESSOR 

OF 

l^pbPFiD  anb  t^f  Oognal^F  Ixangnagps, 


IN  THE 


UNION  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY, 


NEW   YORK    CITY, 


NEW  YOKE: 
Pbess  of  Eogees  &  Seek  WOOD,  94  akd  C6  Nassau  Street. 

18  7  6. 


rS^ 


A 


.       INTRODUCTORY   NOTICE. 

The  Inauguration  of  the  Rev.  Charles  A.  Bricgs,  D.D., 
as  *'  Davenport  Professor  of  Hebrew  and  Cognate 
Languages  "  in  Union  Theological  Seminary,  took  place  in 
the  Chapel,  Thursday,  September  21,  1876. 

Norman  White,  Esq.,  Vice-President  of  the  Board  of  Direc- 
tors, announced  that  Dr.  Briggs,  who  had  previously  served 
the  Seminary  for  two  years  as  Provisional  Professor  with  great 
acceptance,  had  been  unanimously  elected  to  the  chair,  in 
which  he  had  now  been  inaugurated,  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Board  in  May  last  ;  at  which  time  the  Professor  elect  made 
declaration  of  his  assent  to  the  Articles  prescribed  in  our  Con- 
stitution. 

Prayer  was  offered  by  Rev.  W.  M.  Taylor,  D.D. 

After   this,  the  Address   now  published  was   delivered  by. 
Prof.  Briggs. 

This  was  followed  by  a  brief  charge  and  words  of  con- 
gratulation by  Dr.  Adams,  the  President  of  the  Seminary,  in 
behalf  of  the  Faculty  and  the  Board  of  Directors. 


iviS67556 


EXEGETICAL     THEOLOGY. 


ESPECIALLY    OF    THE 


OLD  testament; 


EXEGETICAL  THEOLOGY  is  one  of  the  four  grand  divisions 
6f  Theological  Science.  It  is  related  to  the  other  divisions, 
historical,  systematic,  and  practical,  as  the  primary  and  funda- 
mental discipline  upon  which  the  others  depend,  and  from 
which  they  derive  their  chief  materials.  Exegetical  Theology 
has  to  do  especially  with  the  sacred  Scriptures,  their  origin, 
history,  character,  exposition,  doctrines,  and  rules  of  life. 
It  is  true  that  the  other  branches  of  theology  have  likewise 
to  do  with  the  sacred  writings,  in  that  their  chief  material 
is  derived  therefrom,  but  they  differ  from  Exegetical  Theology, 
not  only  in  their  methods  of  using  this  material,  but  likewise 
in  the  fact,  that  they  do  not  tJieinselves  search  out  and  gather 
this  material,  directly  from  the  holy  writings,  but  depend 
upon  Exegetical  Theology  therefor  ;  whilst  their  energies  are 
directed  in  Historical  Theology  in  tracing  the  development 
of  that  material  as  the  determining  element  in  the  history 
of  the  people  of  God  ;  in  Systematic  Theology,  in  arranging 
that  material  in  the  form  most  appropriate  for  systematic 
study,  for  attack  and  defense,  in  accordance  with  the  needs 
of  ,the  age  ;  in  Practical  Theology,  in  directing  that  material 
to  the  conversion  of  souls,  and  training  them   in  the  holy  life. 

*  The  substance  of  this  article  was  delivered  as  an  Inaugural  Address,  by- 
occasion  of  th€  induction  of  Dr.  Briggs  (Sept,  21,  1876)  into  the  chair  of  Hebrew 
and  the  Cognate  Languages  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  N.  Y. 


6  Exegetical  Theology^ 

Thus  the  whole  of  theology  depends  upon  the  exegesis  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  unless  this  department  be  thoroughly  wrought 
out  and  established,  the  whole  structure  of  theological  truth 
will  be  weak  and  frail,  for  it  will  be  found,  in  the  critical 
hour,  resting  on  the  shifting  sands  of  human  opinion  and 
practice,  rather  than  on  the  rock  of  infallible  divine  truth. 

The  work  of  Exegetical  Theology  is  all  the  more  important, 
that  each  age  has  its  own  peculiar  phase  or  department  of 
truth  to  elaborate  in  the  theological  conception  and  in  the 
life.  Unless,  therefore,  theology  freshen  its  life  by  ever-repeated 
draughts  from  the  Holy  Scriptures,  it  will  be  unequal  to  the 
tasks  imposed  upon  it.  It  will  not  solve  the  problems  of 
the  thoughtful,  dissolve  the  doubts  of  the  cautious,  or  disarm 
the  objections  of  the  enemies  of  the  truth.  History  will  not, 
with  her  experience,  iftiless  she  grasp  the  torch  of  divine  rev- 
elation, which  alone  can  illuminate  the  future  and  clear  up 
the  dark  places  of  the  present  and  the  past.  Systematica 
Theology  will  not  satisfy  the  demands  of  the  age  if  she  appear 
in  the  worn-out  armor  or  antiquated  costume  of  former 
generations.  She  must  beat  out  for  herself  a  new  suit  of 
armor  from  Biblical  material  which  is  ever  new  ;  she  must 
weave  to  herself  a  fresh  and  sacred  costume  of  doctrine  from 
the  Scriptures  which  never  disappoint  the  requirements  of 
mankind  ;  and  thus  armed  and  equipped  with  the  weapons  of 
the  Living  One,  she  will  prove  them  quick  and  powerfuh 
convincing  and  invincible,  in  her  training  of  the  disciple,  and 
her  conflicts  with  the  infidel  and  heretic.  And  so  Practical 
Theology  will  never  be  able  to  convert  the  world  to  Christ, 
and  sanctify  the  church,  without  ever  renewing  its  life  from 
the  Bible  fountain ;  and  so  pervading  our  liturgy,  hymnology, 
catechetical  instruction,  pastoral  work  and  preaching,  with 
the  pure,  noble,  and  soul-satisfying  truths  of  God's  word,  that 
the  necessities  of  the  age  may  be  supplied,  for  ''  man  shall  not 
live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of 
the  mouth  of  God.  "     (Matt,  iv  :  4  ;  Deut.  viii  :  3.) 

And  the  history  of  the  church,  and,  indeed.  Christian  experi- 
ence, has  shown  that  in  so  far  as  the  other  branches  of  Theology, 
have  separated  themselves  from  this  fundamental  discipline, 
and  in  proportion  to  the  neglect  of  Exegetical  Theology 
the  church  has  fallen  into  a  dead  orthodoxy  of  scholasticism, 


Especially   of   tJie  Old  Testament.  7 

has  lost  its  hold  upon  the  masses  of  mankind,  so  that  with 
its  foundations  undermined,  it  has  yielded  but  feeble  resist- 
ance to  the  onsets  of  infidelity.  And  it  has  ever  been  that 
the  reformation  or  revival  has  come  through  the  resort  to  the  sa- 
cred oracles,  and  the  organization  of  a  freshly  stated  body  of  doc- 
trine,  and  fresh  methods  of  evangelization  derived  therefrom. 
We  thus  have  reason  to  thank  God,  that  heresy  and  unbelief  so 
often  drive  us  to  our  citadel,  the  sacred  Scriptures,  and  force 
us  back  to  the  impregnable  fortress  of  divine  truth,  in  order 
that,  depending  no  longer  merely  upon  human  weapons  and 
defenses,  we  may  use  rather  the  divine,  and  thus  reconquer 
all  that  may  have  been  lost,  and  advance  a  stage  onward  in  our 
victorious  progress  toward  the  end.  Our  adversaries  may 
overthrow  our  systems  of  theology,  our  confessions  and  cate- 
chisms, our  church  organizations  and  methods  of  work,  for 
these  are,  after  all,  human  productions,  the  hastily  thrown  up 
out-works  of  the  truth  ;  but  they  can  never  contend  success- 
fully against  the  word  of  God  that  liveth  and  abideth  forever 
(i  Peter  i :  23),  which,  though  the  heavens  fall  and  the  earth 
pass  away,  will  not  fail  in  one  jot  or  tittle  from  the  most  com- 
plete fulfillment  (Matt,  v :  18),  which  will  shine  in  new 
beauty  and  glory  as  its  parts  are  one  by  one  searchingly 
examined,  which  will  prove  itself  not  only  invincible  but  all- 
conquering,  as  point  after  point  is  most  holy  contested,  until 
at  last  it  claims  universal  obedience  as  the  pure  and  faultless 
mirror  of  him  who  is  himself  the  brightness  of  the  Father's 
glory  and  the  express  image  of  his  person.  (2  Cor.  iii  :  18: 
Heb.  i:3.) 

Now  it  is  an  important  characteristic  of  our  Reformed  and 
Calvinistic  churches,  that  they  give  the  sacred  Scriptures  such 
a  fundamental  position  in  their  confessions  and  catechisms,  and 
lay  so  much  stress  upon  the  so-called  y<?r;;/rt'/ principle  of  the 
Protestant  Reformation.  Thus  in  both  Helvetic  confessions 
and  the  Westminster  they  constitute  the  first  article''^,  whilst 
in  the  Heidelberg  and  Westminster  catechisms  they  are  placed 
at  the  foundation,  in  the  former  as  the  source  of  our  knowl- 
edge of  sin  and  misery,  and  of  salvation  (Quest,  iii,  xix),  in  the 
latter  as  dividing  the  catechism  into  two  parts,  teaching  "what 

*  Niemeyer,  Collectio  ConJ\ss.,  p^\   115,  467. 


8  Exegctical  Theology^ 

man  is  to  believe  concerning  God,  and  what  duty  God  requires 
of  man." — {Larger  Catechism,  Quest,  v;  Shorter  Catechism, 
Quest,  iii.)  And  the  authority  of  the  word  of  God  as  "  the 
only  rule  of  faith  and  obedience"  {Larger  Catechism,  Quest,  v), 
has  ever  been  maintained  in  our  churches  and  seminaries. 

Exegetical  Theology  being  thus  according  to  its  idea  the 
fundamental  theological  discipline,  and  all  important  as  the 
fruitful  source  of  theology,  it  must  be  thoroughly  elaborated 
in  all  its  parts  according  to  exact  and  well-defined  scientific 
methods. ,  The  methods  proper  to  Exegetical  Theology  are  the 
synthetic  and  the  historical,  the  relative  importance  of  which 
has  been  hotly  contested.  The  importance  of  the  historical 
method  is  so  great  that  not  a  few  have  regarded  the  discipline, 
as  a  whole,  as  at  once  a  primary  division  of  Historical  Theology. 
The  examination  of  the  Bible  sources,  the  sacred  writings 
being  of  the  same  essential  character  as  the  examination  of 
other  historical  documents,  they  should  be  considered  simply 
as  the  sources  of  Biblical  history,  and  thus  the  writings  them- 
selves would  be  most  appropriately  treated  under  a  history  of 
Biblical  literature  (Hupfeld,  Reuss,  Fuerst,  ct  al.),  and  the  doc- 
trines under  a  history  of  Biblical  doctrine  (the  school  of  Baur).^* 
But  the  sacred  writings  are  not  merely  sources  of  historical 
information  ;  they  are  the  sources  of  the  faith  to  be  believed 
and  the  morals  to  be  practiced  by  all  the  world  ;  they  are  of 
everlasting  value  as  the  sum  total  of  sacred  doctrine  and  law 
for  mankind,  being  not  only  for  the  past,  but  for  the  present 
and  the  future,  as  God's  holy  word  to  the  human  race,  so  that 
their  value  as  historical  documents  becomes  entirely  sub- 
ordinate to  their  value  as  a  canon  of  Holy  Scripture,  the  norm 
and  rule  of  faith  and  life.  Hence  the  synthetic  method  must 
predominate  over  the  historical,  as  the  proper  exegetical 
method,  and  induction  rule  in  all  departments  of  the  work  ; 
for  it  is  the  office  of  Exegetical  Theology  to  gather  from  these 
sacred  writings,  as  the  storehouse  of  divine  truth,  the  holy 
material,  in  order  to  arrange  it  by  a  process  of  induction  and 
generalization  into  the  generic  forms  that  may  best  express 
the  generic  conceptions  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  themselves. 
From  this  point  of  view  it  is  clear,  that  the  analytic  method 

*  Compare  my  article  on  Biblical  Theology,  A>/i,  Presb.  Reviciv,  1870;  p.  122,  seq. 


Especially  of  tJic  Old  Testament.  9 

can  have  but  a  very  subordinate  place  in  our  branch  of  theol- 
ogy. It  may  be  necessary  in  the  work  of  separating  the  material , 
in  the  work  of  gathering  it,  but  this  is  only  in  order  to  the 
synthetic  process,  which  must  ever  prevail.  It  is  to  the  imr 
proper  application  of  the  analytic  method  to  exegesis,  that 
such  sad  mistakes  have  been  made  in  interpreting  the  word 
of  God,  making  exegesis  the  slave  of  dogmatics  and  tradition, 
when  she  can  only  thrive  as  the  free-born  daughter  of  truth, 
whose  word  does  not  yield  to  dogmatics,  but  is  divinely 
authoritative  over  dogmatics,  and  before  whose  voice  tradition 
must  ever  give  way ;  for  exegesis  cannot  go  to  the  text  with 
preconceived  opinions  and  dogmatic  views  that  will  constrain 
the  text  to  accord  with  them,  but  rather  with  a  living  faith  in 
the  perspicuity  and  power  of  the  word  of  God  alone,  of  itself,  to 
pursuade  and  convince  ;  and  with  reverential  fear  of  the  voice 
of  him  who  speaks  through  it,  which  involves  assurance  of  the 
truth,  and  submission  and  prompt  obedience  to  his  will.  Thus, 
exegesis  does  not  start  from  the  unity  to  investigate  the 
variety,  but  from  the  variety  to  find  the  unity.  It  does 
not  seek  the  authors  view  and  the  divine  doctrine  through 
an  analysis  of  the  writing,  the  chapter,  the  verse,  down  to  the 
word  ;  but,  inversely,  it  starts  with  the  word  and  the  clause, 
pursuing  its  way  through  the  verse,  paragraph,  section,  chap- 
ter, writing,  collection  of  writings,  the  entire  Bible,  until  the 
whole  word  of  God  is  displayed  before  the  mind,  from  the 
summit  that  has  been  attained  after  a  long  and  arduous  climb- 
ing. 

Thus  Exegetical  Theology  at  least  is  a  science,  whose  pre- 
mises and  materials  are  no  less  clear  and  tangible  than  those 
with  which  any  other  science  has  to  do,  and  whose  results  are 
vastly  m.ore  important  than  all  other  sciences  comBined,  as  they 
concern  our  salvation  and  everlasting  welfare  ;  and  if,  further- 
more, this  material  with  which  we  have  to  do  be  what  it  claijns 
to  be — the  very  word  of  God  to  man, — it  is  clear  that  here 
alone  we  have  a  science  that  deals  with  inimutable  facts  and 
infallible  truths,  so  that  our  science  may  tAke  its  place  in  the 
circle  of  sciences,  despite  all  the  efforts  of  false  science  to  cast 
it  out,  as  the  royal,  yes,  the  divine  science.  Butlet.it  be 
remembered  that  this  position  will  be  accorded  it  by  the  scien- 
ces only  in  so   far  as  theology  as  a  whole  is  true  to  the  spirit 


10  Exegetical  Theology^ 

and  character  of  its  fundamental  discipline,  and  does  not  as- 
sume a  false  position  of  dogmatism  and  traditional  prejudice, 
or  attempt  to  tyrannize  over  the  other  sciences  in  their  earnest 
researches  after  the  truth. 

Exegetical  Theology  being  thus  fundamental  and  important, 
having  such  thorough-going  scientific  methods,  it  must  have 
manifold  divisions  and  subdivisions  of  its  work.  These,  in 
their  order  and  mutual  relation,  are  determined  by  a  proper 
adjustment  of  its  methods  and  the  subordination  of  the  his- 
torical to  the  inductive  process.  Thus  at  the  outset  there  are 
imposed  upon  those  who  would  enter  upon  the  study  of  the 
sacred  Scriptures  certain  primary  and  fundamental  questions 
respecting  the  holy  writings,  such  as  :  Which  are  the  sacred 
writings  ?  why  do  we  call  them  sacred?  whence  did  they  origi- 
nate ?  under  what  historical  circumstances  ?  who  were  their 
authors?  to  whom  were  they  addressed  ?  what  was  their  design  ? 
are  the  writings  that  have  come  down  to  us  genuine  ?  is  the  text 
reliable  ?  and  the  like.  These  questions  may  be  referred  to  the 
general  department  oi  Biblical  Introduction.  Then  the  text 
itself  is  to  be  interpreted  according  to  correct  principles  and 
by  all  the  instrumentalities  at  hand,  with  all  the  light  that 
the  study  of  centuries  may  throw  upon  it.  This  is  Biblical 
Exegesis.  Finally,  the  results  of  this  exegetical  process  are  to 
be  gathered  into  one  organic  whole.  This  is  Biblical  Theology. 
These  then  are  the  three  grand  divisions  into  which  Exegeti- 
cal Theology  naturally  divides  itself,  each  in  turn  having  its 
appropriate  subordinate  departments. 

I.  Biblical  Introduction  has  as  its  work  to  determine  all 
those  introductory  questions  that  may  arise  respecting  the  sa- 
cred writings,  preliminary  to  the  work  of  exegesis.  These  ques- 
tions are  various,  yet  may  be  grouped  in  accordance  with  a 
general  principle.  But  it  is,  first  of  all,  necessary  to  limit  the 
bounds  of  our  department  and  exclude  from  it  all  that  does  not 
properly  come  within  its  sphere.  Thus  Hagenbach'^^*  brings  into 
consideration  here  certain  questions  which  he  assigns  to  the 
auxiliary  disciplines  of  Sacred  Philology,  Sacred  Archaeology, 
and  Sacred  Canonics.  But  it  is  difficult  to  see  why,  if  these 
are  in  any  essential  relation  to  our  department,  they  should  not 


Encyklopddie.  pte    Auf.  s.  40. 


Especially  of  the  Old  Testament.  1 1 

be  logically  incorporated ;  whilst  if  they  do  not  stand  in  such 
close  relations,  why  they  should  not  be  referred  to  their  own 
proper  departments  of  study.  Thus  Sacred  Canonics  clearly  be- 
longs to  our  discipline,  whilst  Sacred  Archaeology  no  less 
certainly  belongs  to  the  historical  department  ;  and  as  for 
Sacred  Philology,  it  should  not  be  classed  with  theology  at  all, 
for  the  languages  of  the  Bible  are  not  sacred  from  any  inherent 
virtue  in  them,  but  only  for  the  reason,  that  they  have  been 
selected  as  the  vehicle  of  divine  revelation,  and  thus  their 
connection  with  the  scriptures  is  accidental  rather  than  nec- 
essary. And  still  further  we  are  to  remark,  that  all  departments 
of  theology  are  in  mutual  relation  to  one  another,  and  in  a 
higher  scale  all  the  departments  of  learning  act  and  react  upon 
one  another — such  as  theology,  philosophy,  philology,  and 
history.  Hence,  that  one  department  of  study  is  related  to 
another  does  not  imply  that  it  should  be  made  auxiliary 
thereto.  Thus  the  languages  of  scripture  are  to  be  studied 
precisely  as  the  other  languages,  as  a  part  of  General  Philology. 
The  Hellenistic  Greek  is  a  dialect  of  the  Greek  language,  which 
is  itself  a  prominent  member  of  the  Indo-Germanic  family, 
whilst  the  Hebrew  and  Chaldee  are  sisters  with  the  Assyrian 
and  Syriac,  the  Arabic  and  Ethiopic,  the  Phoenician  and  Samar- 
itan, of  the  Shemitic  family.  The  study  of  these  languages,  as 
languages,  properly  belongs  to  the  college  or  university  course, 
and  has  no  appropriate  place  in  the  theological  seminary. 
Valuable  time  is  consumed  in  these  studies  that  is  taken  from 
Exegetical  Theology  itself  and  never  compensated  for.  The 
Shemitic  languages  are  constantly  rising  into  prominence,  over 
against  the  Indo-Germanic  family,  and  demand  their  appropri- 
ate place  in  the  curriculum  of  a  liberal  education.  The  time 
has  fully  come  when  philologists  and  theologians  should  united- 
ly insist  that  a  place  should  be  found  for  them  in  the  college 
course  ;  and  that  this  valuable  department  of  knowledge,  upon 
the  pursuit  of  which  so  much  depends  for  the  history  of  the  Ori- 
ent, the  origin  of  civilization  and  mankind,  as  well  as  the  whole 
subject  of  the  three  great  religions  of  the  world,  should  not  give 
way  to  the  physical  sciences,  which,  whilst  properly  of  subordi- 
nate importance  as  dealing  mainly  with  material  things,  have 
already  assumed  an  undue  prominence  in  our  institutions  of 
learning  over  against  philology,  history,  and  philosophy,  that 


12  Exegetical  Theology, 

deal  with  higher  and  nobler  problems.  German  theology  has  a 
great  advantage,  in  that  the  theological  student  is  already  pre- 
pared in  the  gymnasium  for  the  university  with  a  knowledge  of 
Hebrew  relatively  equivalent  to  his  Greek.  The  Presbyterians  of 
Scotland  have  advanced  beyond  us  in  this  respect,  by  requir- 
ing an  elementary  knowledge  of  Hebrew,  in  order  to  entrance 
upon  the  seminary  course,  at  the  same  time  providing  such 
elementary  training  during  the  seminary  vacation.  This  is  a 
step  in  which  we  might  readily  follow  them.  We  cannot  afford  to 
wait  until  all  the  colleges  follow  the  noble  lead  of  the  University 
of  Virginia,  Lafayette,  and  others,  in  giving  their  students  the 
option  of  Hebrew  instruction;  but  must  use  all  our  influence  to 
constrain  them  to  fulfill  their  duty  of  preparing  students  for  the 
study  of  theology,  as  well  as  of  the  other  professions.  We  might,. 
at  least  for  the  present,  provide  in  our  larger  seminaries  a  spe- 
cial preparatory  course  of  study,  of  say  three  months  in  the 
summer  in  which  instruction  might  be  given  in  Hebrew, 
Hellenistic  Greek,  and  Philosophy.  Now  this  or  some  other  plan 
must  be  adopted,  if  the  study  of  the  Old  Testament  is  to  assume 
its  proper  place  in  our  theological  instruction  ;  if  our  church  is 
to  successfully  meet  and  overcome  the  assaults,  daily  becoming 
more  frequent  and  bitter,  not  only  from  without,  but  from 
within  {vide  Scribners  Monthly,  Sept.,  1876.,  Art. — "Protestant 
Vaticanism"),  upon  the  Old  Testament  foundations  of  our 
faith. 

Still  further  it  is  to  be  noticed,  that  there  can  henceforth  be 
no  thorough  mastery  of  the  Hebrew  tongue  by  clinging  rever- 
ently to  the  skirts  of  the  Jew.  We  might  as  well  expect  to 
master  the  classic  Latin  from  the  language  of  the  rhonks,. 
or  acquire  evangelical  doctrine  from  Rome.  The  cognate  lan- 
guages are  indispensable.  And  it  is  just  here  that  a  rich  treasure, 
prepared  by  divine  Providence  for  these  times,  is  pouring  into 
our  laps,  if  we  will  only  use  it.  The  Assyrian  alone,  as  recently 
brouglit  to  light,  and  established  in  her  position  as  one  of  the 
oldest  sisters,  is  of  inestimable  value,  not  to  speak  of  the  Arabic 
and  Syriac,  the  Ethiopic,  Phoenician,  Samaritan,  and  the  lesser 
languages  and  dialects  that  the  monuments  are  constantly 
revealing.  Immense  material  is  now  at  hand,  and  is  still  being 
gathered  from  these  sources,  that  will  considerably  modify  our 
views  of  the  Hebrew  language,  and  of  the  history  and  religion. 


Especially  of  /he  Old  Testament.  1 3- 

of  the  Hebrews  in  relation  to  the  other  peoples  of  the  Orient. 
We  are  only  beginning  to  learn  that  the  Hebrew  language  has 
such  a  thing  as  a  syntax,  and  that  it  is  a  highly  organized  and 
wonderfully  flexible  and  beautiful  tongue,  the  result  of  centuries 
of  development.  As  the  bands  of  Massoretic  tradition  are  one 
after  another  falling  off,  the  inner  spirit  and  life  of  the  lan- 
guage are  being  discovered,  the  dry  bones  are  clothing  them- 
selves with  flesh,  and  rich,  warm  blood  is  animating  the  frame, 
giving  to  the  features  nobility  and  beauty.""  If  the  Presbyterian- 
Church  is  to  be  renowned  for  its  mastery  of  the  Bible,  if  the 
symbols  and  the  life  of  the  church  are  to  harmonize,  we  must  ad- 
vance and  occupy  this  rich  and  fruitful  field  for  the  Lord,  and  not 
wait  for  the  unbelievers  to  occupy  it  before  us,  and  then  be  com- 
pelled to  contend  at  a  disavantage,  they  having  the  prestige  of 
knowledge  and  success. f 

Whilst,  therefore,  we  exclude  the  study  of  the  Hebrew  and 
cognate  languages  from  the  range  of  Exegetical  Theology,  we 
magnify  fheir  importance,  not  only  to  the  theological  student,, 
but  also  to  the  entire  field  of  scholarship.  Other  scholars  may  do 
without  them,  but  for  the  theologian  these  studies  are  indispen- 
sable, and  we  must  at  the  very  beginning  strain  all  our  energies 
to  the  mastery  of  the  Hebrew  tongue.  If  we  have  not  done  it  out 
of  the  seminaries,  we  must  do  it  in  the  seminaries.  We  must  take 
our  disadvantages  as  we  find  them,  and  make  up  by  severity  of 
study  for  the  lack  of  time  ;  and  w^hilst  we  cannot  at  present  do 
justice  to  the  requirements  of  the  Exegetical  Theology  of  the 
Old  Testament,  though  for  the  present  she  must  be  the  little 
sister  in  the  seminary  course,  yet  we  must  not  undervalue  her  ; 
we  must  form  a  proper  conception  of  her,  employ  faithfully  her 
methods,  cover  the  ground  of  her  divisions,  even  if  but  thinly, 
and  she  will  grow  upon  our  hands  and  prove  herself  one  of  the 
excellent  ones.  For  though  we  can  only  deal  with  selections^ 
and  study  the  broad  outlines  of  our  discipline,  and  have  but  a 

*It  is  exceedingly  gratifying  that  our  American  students  are  eagerly  entering  upon 
these  studies.  The  large  classes  in  the  cognate  languages,  not  only  in  our  seminary 
(the  Syriac  class  of  1875  was  9,  the  Arabic  class  of  1876  is  19),  but  also  at  Princeton, 
promise  great  things  for  the  future  in  this  regard. 

fThe  church  should  be  very  grateful  that  the  Assyrian  researches  have  fallen  at 
once  into  Christian  hands,  and  not,  like  the  Egyptian,  been  the  storehouse  at  the 
start  for  the  enemies  of  the  truth. 


14  Exegeticah  Theology, 

fragmentary  course  at  the  best,  yet  we  may  taste  of  some  of  the 
tit-bits  of  Scripture  and  enjoy  them  to  the  full,  and  thus  learn 
the  richness  of  the  word  of  God  as  the  true  soul  food.  We  may 
be  prepared  by  little  things  for  greater  things,  and,  above  all, 
learning  to  love  our  methods  and  our  work,  we  may  devote  our 
lives  to  it  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  our  race. 

Having  excluded  Sacred  Philology  from  Exegetical  Theology 
and  from  Biblical  Introduction,  we  now  have  to  define  more 
closely  the  proper  field  of  Biblical  Introduction.  Biblical  In- 
troduction has  to  do  with  all  introductory  questions  respecting 
the  sacred  Scriptures,  all  the  introductory  work  that  may  be 
necessary  to  prepare  the  way  of  Biblical  Exegesis.  Looking 
at  the  sacred  Scriptures  as  the  sources  to  be  investigated,  we  see 
three  fields  of  inquiry  presenting  themselves  ;  the  individual 
writings,  the  collection  or  canon,  and  the  text ;  or,  in  more  detail 
the  three  groups  of  questions  :  i.  As  to  the  origin,  authorship, 
time  of  composition,  character,  design,  and  direction  *of  the 
individual  zuritings  that  claim,  or  are  claimed,  to  belong  to  the 
sacred  Scriptures.  2.  As  to  the  idea,  extent,  character,  and 
authority  of  the  Canon,  into  which  these  writings  have  been 
collected  as  the  sacred  Scriptures  of  the  church.  3.  As  to  the 
text  of  which  the  Canon  is  composed,  the  MSS.  in  which  it  is 
preserved,  the  translations  of  it  and  citations  from  it.  These 
subordinate  branches  of  Biblical  Introduction  may  be  called 
sacred  Isagogics,  sacred  Canonics,  and  sacred  Criticism. 

Now  with  reference  to  these  departments  in  detail :  (i)  Sacred 
Isagogics  is  in  itself  a  kind  of  introduction  to  Biblical  Introduc- 
tion, dealing  with  those  questions  that  are  most  fundamental. 
Here  we  have  to  do  with  individual  writings  and  groups  of  writ- 
ings. The  parts  are  ever  to  be  investigated  before  the  wholes, 
the  individual  writings  before  the  collected  ones.  With  refer- 
ence to  each  writing,  or,  it  may  be,  part  of  a  writing,  w^e  have  to 
determine  the  historical  origin  and  authorship,  the  original 
readers,  the  design  and  character  of  the  composition,  and  its 
relation  to  other  writings  of  its  group.  These  questions  must 
be  settled  partly  by  external  historical Qvid^nce,  but  chiefly  by 
interned  evidence,  such  as  the  language,  style  of  composition, 
archaeological  and  historical  traces,  the  conceptions  of  the  author 
respecting  the  various  subjects  of  human  thought,  and  the  like. 
Now  with  reference  to  such  questions  as  these,  it  is  manifest 


Especially  of  the  Old  Testament.  15 

that  we  have  nothin^r  to  do  with  traditional  views  or  dogmatic 
opinions.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  prevailing  views  in 
the  church  with  reference  to  the  Pentateuch, Psalter,or  any  other 
book  of  Scripture,  they  will  not  deter  the  conscientious  exegete 
an  instant  from  accepting  and  teaching  the  results  of  a  historical 
and  critical  study  of  the  writings  themselves.  It  is  just  here 
that  Christian  theologians  have  greatly  injured  the  cause  of 
the  truth  and  the  Bible  by  dogmatizing  in  a  department  where 
it  is  least  of  all  appropriate,  and,  indeed,  to  the  highest  degree 
improper,  as  if  our  faith  depended  at  all  upon  these  human 
opinions  respecting  the  word  of  God  ;  as  if  the  Scriptures  could 
be  benefited  by  defending  the  indefensible,  whereas  by  these 
frequent  and  shameful  defeats  and  routs  these  traditionalists 
bring  disgrace  and  alarm  even  into  the  impregnable  fortress 
itself,  and  prejudice  the  sincere  inquirer  against  the  Scriptures, 
as  if  these  were  questions  of  orthodoxy  or  piety,  or  of  allegiance 
to  the  word  of  God  or  the  symbols  of  the  church.  Our  stand- 
ards teach  that  "the  word  of  God  is  the  only  rule  of  faith  and 
obedience,"  and  that  "the  authority  of  the  Holy  Scripture,  for 
ivhich  it  ought  to  be  believed  and  obeyed,  dependeth  not  upon 
the  testimony  of  any  man  or  church,  but  wholly  upon  God,  the 
the  author  thereof."t  How  unorthodox  it  is  therefore  to  set 
iup  another  rule  of  prevalent  opinion  as  a  stumbling  block  to 
those  who  would  accept  the  authority  of  the  word  of  God  alone. 
So  long  as  the  word  of  God  is  honored,  and  its  decisions  regarded 
as  final,  what  matters  it  if  a  certain  book  be  detached  from  the 
name  of  one  holy  man  and  ascribed  to  another,  or  classed  among 
those  with  unknown  authors  ?  Are  the  laws  of  the  Pentateuch 
any  less  divine,  if  it  should  be  proved  that  they  are  the  product 
of  the  experience  of  God's  people  from  Moses  to  Josiah?:}: 
Is  the  Psalter  to  be  esteemed  any  the  less  precious  that  the 
Psalms  should  be  regarded  as  the  product  of  many  poets  sing- 
ing through  many  centuries  the  sacred  melodies  of  God-fearing 
souls,  responding  from  their  hearts,  as  from  a  thousand-stringed 
lyre,  to  the  touch  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  ?  Is  the  book  of 
Job  less  majestic  and  sublime,  as,  the  noblest  monument  of 
sacred   poetry,  it  stands  before  us  in   its  solitariness,  with  un- 

*  Larger  Catechism,  Quest,  iii.  f  Confess,  of  Faith,  Chap.  1:4. 

+  British  and  Foreign  Evang.  Review,  July,  1868,    Art.  "The  Progress  of  Old 
Testament  Studies.'' 


1 6  Excgetical  Theology, 

known  author, unknown  birthplace,  and  from  an  unknown  period 
of  history  ?  Are  the  ethical  teachings  of  the  Proverbs,  the  Song 
of  songs,  and  Ecclesiastes,  any  the  less  solemn  and  weighty,, 
that  they  may  not  be  the  product  of  Solomon's  wisdom  alone',, 
but  of  the  reflection  of  many  holy  wise  men  of  different  epochs, 
gathered  about  Solomon  as  their  head  ?  Is  the  epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  any  less  valuable  for  its  clear  presentation  of  the 
fulfillment  of  the  Old  Testament  priesthood  and  sacrifice  in 
the  work  of  Christ,  that  it  must  detached  from  the  name  of 
Paul  ?  Let  us  not  be  so  presumptuous,  so  irreverent  to  the 
Word  of  God,  so  unbelieving  with  reference  to  its  inherent 
power  of  convincing  and  assuring  the  seekers  for  the  truths 
as  to  condemn  any  sincere  and  candid  inquirer  as  a  heretic 
or  a  rationalist,  because  he  may  differ  from  us  on  such  ques- 
tions as  these  ?  The  internal  evidence  must  be  decisive  in 
all  questions  of  Biblical  Isagogics  and  we  must  not  fear  but 
that  the  truth,  whatever  it  may  be,  will  be  most  in  accordance 
with  God's  Word  and  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  interest  of 
the  church. 

The  individual  writings  having  been  examined  in  detail  and 
in  their  inter-relation,  w^e  now  have  to  consider  them  as  col- 
lected writings  in  the  canon  of  the  church. 

(2)  Sacred  Cajionics  considers  the  Canon  of  sacred  Scripture  as 
to  its  idea  in  its  historical  formation,  its  extent, character,  author- 
ity, and  historical  influence.  These  inquiries,  like  those  in  the 
previous  department,  are  to  be  made  in  accordance  with  the  his- 
torical and  synthetic  methods.  We  are  not  to  start  with  precon- 
ceived dogmatic  views  as  to  the  idea  of  the  canon,  but  derive  this 
idea  by  induction  from  the  sacred  writings  themselves ;  and  in 
the  same  manner  decide  all  other  questions  that  may  arise.Thus 
the  extent  of  the  Canon  is  not  to  be  determined  by  the  con- 
sensus of  the  churches,  "^^  or  by  the  citation  and  reverent  use  of 
them  in  the  fathers,  and  their  recognition  by  the  earliest  stan- 
dard authorities,f  for  these  historical  evidences,  so  important  in 
Historical  Theology,  have  no  value  in   Exegetical  Theology, 

*  Indeed,  they  do  not  agree  with  reference  to  its  extent  whether  it  includes  the 
Apocryphal  books  or  not,  and,  still  further,  they  differ  in  the  matter  of  distinguishing 
within  the  canon,  between  writings  of  primary  and  secondaiy  authority. 

f  These,  indeed,  are  not  entirely  agreed,  and  if  they  were,  could  only  give  us  a  hu- 
man and  fallible  authority. 


Especially  of  the  Old  Testament,  \y 

as  they  had  no  influence  in  the  formation  of  the  Canon  itself; 
nor,  indeed,  by  their  accord  with  orthodoxy  or  the  rule  of  faith, ^' 
for  it  is  not  only  too  broad,  in  that  other  writings  than  sacred 
are  orthodox,  but  again  too  narrow,  in  that  the  standard  is  the 
shifting  one  of  subjective  opinion,  or  external  human  authority, 
which,  indeed,  presupposes  the  Canon  itself  as  an  object  of  criti- 
cism ;  and  all  these  external  reasons,  historical  and  dogmatic, 
after  all,  can  have  but  a  provisional  and  temporary  authority — 
but  the  only  authoritative  and  final  decision  of  these  questions 
is  from  the  internal  marks  and  characteristics  of  the  Scriptures, 
their  recognition  of  one  another,  their  harmony  with  the  idea, 
character,  and  development  of  a  divine  revelation,  as  it  is 
derived  from  the  Scriptures  themselves,  as  well  as  their  own 
well -tested  and  critically  examined  claims  to  inspiration  and 
authority.  These  reasons,  and  these  alone,  gave  them  their 
historical  position  and  authority  as  a  Canon  ;  and  these  alone 
can  have  their  place  in  the  department  of  Exegetical  Theology. 
And  it  is  only  on  this  basis  that  the  historical  and  dogmatic 
questions  may  be  properly  considered,  with  respect  to  their 
recognition  by  Jew  and  Christian,  and  their  authority  in  the 
church.  The  writings  having  thus  been  considered  individ- 
ually and  collectively,  we  are  prepared  for  the  third  step,  the 
examination  of  the  text  itself. 

(3)  Sacred  Criticism  considers  the  text  of  the  sacred  Scriptures 
"both  as  a  whole  and  in  detail.  The  sacred  writings  have 
shared  the  fate  of  all  human  productions  in  their  transmission 
from  hand  to  hand,  and  in  the  multiplication  of  copies.  Hence, 
through  the  mistakes  of  copyists,  the  intentional  corruption 
of  the  heretic,  and  supposed  improvement  of  the  over-anxious 
orthodox,  the  MSS.  that  have  been  preserved  betray  differen- 
ces of  reading ;  and  questions  arise  with  respect  to  certain  parts 
of  writings,  or,  indeed,  whole  writings,  whether  they  are  gen- 
uine or  spurious.  This  department  has  a  wide  field  of  investiga- 
tion. First  of  all,  the  peculiarities  of  the  Bible  language  must 
be  studied,  and  the  idiomatic  individualities  of  the  respective 
authors.  Then  the  age  of  the  various  MSS.  must  be  determined, 
their  peculiarities,  and  relative  importance.  The  ancient  versions 


*It  was  in  accordance  with  this  subjective  standard  that  Luther  rejected  the  epistle 
of  James  and  Esther.  Comp.  Doj-ner,  Gesch   der  Protest.  T/icologie,  s.  234,  seq. 


1 8  Exegetical  Theology, 

now  come  into  the  field,  especially  the  Sepluagint,  the  Chaldee 
and  Samaritan  Targums,  the  Syriac  Pechito,  and  the  Vulgate, 
which  again,  each  in  turn,  has  to  go  through  the  same  sifting  as 
to  the  critical  value  of  its  own  text.  Here,  especially  in  the  Old 
Testament,  we  go  back  of  any  MSS.  and  are  brought  face  to  face 
with  differences  that  can  be  accounted  for  only  on  the  supposi- 
tion of  original  MSS.,  whose  peculiarities  have  been  lost.  To 
these  may  be  added  the  citations  of  the  original  text  in  the 
works  of  rabbins,  and  Christian  scholars.  Then  we  have  the 
still  more  difficult  comparison  of  parallel  passages,  where  dif- 
ferences of  text  show  a  difference  in  MSS.  reaching  far  back 
of  any  historical  MSS.,  or  even  version.'"  Now,  it  is  manifest 
that  Biblical  Criticism  has  to  meet  all  these  difficulties  and  an- 
swer all  these  questions,  and  harmonize  and  adjust  all  these 
differences,  in  order  that  the  genuine,  original,  pure,  and  uncor^ 
rupted  text  of  the  word  of  God  may  be  gained,  as  it  proceeded 
directly  from  the  original  authors  to  the  original  readers. 
And  the  exegetical  method  will  begin  with  the  differences 
of  the  Scripture  texts,  before  it  enters  upon  the  study  of 
MSS.  and  versions.  This  department  of  study  is  all  the  more 
difficult  for  the  Old  Testament,  that  the  field  is  so  immense^ 
the  writings  so  numerous,  various,  and  ancient,  the  lan- 
guages so  little  understood  in  their  historical  peculiarities, 
and,  still  further,  in  that  we  have  to  overcome  the  prejudices 
of  the  Massoretic  system,  which,  whilst  faithful  and  reliable 
so  far  as  the  knowledge  of  the  times  went,  yet,  as  resting  sim- 
ply on  tradition,  without  critical  or  historical  investigation^ 
and  without  any  proper  conception  of  the  general  principles 
of  grammar  and  comparative  philology,  cannot  be  accepted  as 
final ;  for  the  time  has  long  since  passed  when  the  vowel  points 
and  accents  can  be  deemed  inspired.  We  have  to  go  back  of 
them,  to  the  unpointed  text,  for  all  purposes  of  criticism. 

Thus  the  work  of  Biblical  Introduction  ends,  by  giving  us 
all  that  it  can  learn  respecting  the  individual  writings,  their 
collection   in   the  Canon,  and   their  text,  by  presenting   to  us 

*Comp.  Psalm  xiv  with  Psalm  liii  ;  Psalm  xviii  with  2  Samuel  xxii,  and  the  books 
of  Samuel  and  Kings  on  one  hand,  with  the  books  of  the  Chronicles  on  the  other,  and 
indeed,  throughout.  Compare  also  the  Canonical  books  of  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  and  Dan. 
iel,  with  the  Apocryphal  additions  and  supplements  in  the  Septuagint  version,  and  fi- 
nally the  citation  of  earlier  writings  in  the  later  ones,  especially  in  the  New  Testament. 


Especially  of  the  Old  Testament.  19 

the  sacred  Scriptures  as  the  holy  word  of  God,  all  the  errors 
and  improvements  of  men  having  been  eliminated,  in  a  text 
so  far  as  possible,  as  it  came  from  holy  men  who  "spake  as 
they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost"  ( 2  Peter  i:  21),  so 
that  we  are  brought  into  the  closest  possible  relations  with 
the  living  God  through  his  word,  having  in  our  hands  the  ve7'y 
form  that  contains  the  very  substance  of  divine  revelation  ; 
so  that  with  reverence  and  submission  to  his  will  we  may  en- 
ter upon  the  work  of  interpretation,  confidently  expecting  to  be 
assured  of  the  truth  in  the  work  of  Biblical  Exegesis. 

II.  Biblical  Exegesis.  And  now  first  of  all  we  have  to 
lay  down  certain  general  principles  derived  from  the  study  of 
the  word  of  God,  upon  which  this  exegesis  itself  is  to  be  con- 
ducted. These  principles  must  accord  with  the  proper  methods 
of  Exegetical  Theology  and  the  nature  of  the  work  to  be 
done.  The  work  of  establishing  these  principles  belongs  to 
the  introductory  department  of  Biblical  Hermeneutics.  The 
Scriptures  are  human  productions,  and  yet  truly  divine.  They 
must  be  interpreted  as  other  human  writings,  and  yet  their 
peculiarities  and  differences  from  other  human  writings  must 
be  recognized,"^  especially  the  supreme  determining  difference 
of  their  inspiration  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  accordance  with 
which  they  require  not  only  a  sympathy  with  the  human 
element  in  the  sound  judgment  and  practical  sense  of  the 
grammarian,  the  critical  investigation  of  the  historian,  and 
the  c-Esthetic  taste  of  the  man  of  letters ;  but  also  a  sympathy 
with  the  divine  element,  an  inquiring,  reverent  spirit,  to  be 
enlightened  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  without  which  no  exposition 
of  the  Scriptures  as  sacred,  inspired  writings  is  possible.  It 
is  this  feature  that  distinguishes  the  discipline  from  the  other 
corresponding  ones,  as  Sacred  Hermenetitics.  Thus  we  have 
to  take  into  the  account  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures, 
their  harmony,  their  unity  in  variety,  their  sweet  simplicity,  and 
their  sublime  mystery;  and  all  this  not  to  override  the  princi- 
ples of  grammar,  logic,  and  rhetoric,  but  to  supplement  them, 
yes,  rather,  infuse  them  with  a  new  life  and  vigor,  making  them 
sacred  grammar,  sacred  logic,  and  sacred  rhetoric.  And  just 
here  it  is  highly  important  that  the  history  of  exegesis  should  come 

'^  Comp.  Immer,    Ilenner.eutik  der  N'.  T.  s,  9. 


:20  Excgetical  Theology, 

into  the  field  of  study  in  order  to  show  us  the  abusesof  false  prin- 
ciples of  interpretation  as  a  warning ;  and  the  advantages  of 
ccrrect  principles  as  an  encouragement.'" 

After  this  preliminary  labor,  the  exegete  is  prepared  for  his 
work  in  detail,  and,  indeed,  the  immensity  of  these  details  is 
at  once  over-powering  and  discouraging.  The  extent,  the 
richness,  the  variety  of  the  sacred  writings,  poetry,  history, 
and  prophecy,  extending  through  so  many  centuries,  and  from 
such  a  great  number  of  authors,  known  and  unknt)wn,  the  in- 
herent difficulty  of  interpreting  the  sacred  mysteries,  the 
things  of  God — who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ?  who  would 
venture  upon  this  holy  ground  without  a  quick  sense  of  his  in- 
capacity to  grasp  the  divine  ideas,  and  an  absolute  dependence 
upon  the  Holy  Spirit  to  show  them  unto  him  !  (John  xvi :  15.) 
Truly,  here  is  a  work  for  multitudes,  for  ages,  for  the  most 
profound  and  devout  study  of  all  mankind,  for  here  we  have 
to  do  with  the  whole  word  of  God  to  man.  The  exegete  is 
like  the  miner  of  Job  xxviii.f 

''To  (nature's)  darkness  man  is  setting  bounds  ; 
Unto  the  end  he  searcheth  every  thing,  — 
The  stones  of  darkness  and  the  shade  of  death 
Breaks  from  the  settlers'  view  the  deep  ravine ; 
And  there,  forf  otten  of  the  foot-worn  path, 
They  let  them  down — from  men  they  roam  afar." 

Tor  the  exegete  must  free  himself  as  far  as  possible  from  all 
traditionalism  and  dogmatic  prejudice,  must  leave  the  haunts 
of  human  opinion,  and  bury  himself  in  the  word  of  God.  He 
must  descend  beneath  the  surface  of  the  word  into  its  depths. 
The  letter  must  be  broken  through  to  get  at  the  precious  idea. 
The  dry  rubbish  of  misconception  must  be  thrown  out,'and  a 
shaft  forced  through  every  obstacle  to  get  at  the  truth.  And 
whilst  faithful  in  the  employment  of  all  these  powers  of  the 
human  intellect  and  will,  the  true  exegete  fears  the  Lord,  and 
only  thereby  hopes  through  his  intimacy  with  the  Lord  for 
the  revelation  of  wisdom. if 

.  I.  The  exegete  begins  his  work  with  Grarmnatical  Exegesis. 
Here  he  has  to  do  with  the/<7r;;/,  the  dress  of  the  revelation, 

^Compare  especially  Diestel,  Gesch.  d.  A.  T.  in  der  Christ.  Kirche,  Jena,  1869. 
.f  Taylor  Lewis'  version  Lange's  Commentaries,  Volume  on  Job.   N.  Y.,  1874, 
i:  lo')  xxviii  :  28;   Psalm  xxv :   14;  Proverbs  viii :   17,  seq. 


Especially  of  tJic  Old  Tcsiavient.  21 

which  is  not  to  be  disregarded  or  undervalued,  for  it  is  the 
form  in  which  God  has  seen  fit  to  convey  his  truth,  the  dress 
in  which  alone  we  can  approach  her  and  know  her.  Hebrew 
grammar  must  therefore  be  mastered  in  its  etymology  and  syn- 
tax, or  grammatical  exegesis  will  be  impossible.  Here  patience, 
exactness,  sound  judgment,  and  keen  discernment  are  re- 
quired, for  every  word  is  to  be  examined  by  itself,  etymolog- 
ically  and  historically,  not  etymologically  alone,  for  Greek 
and  Hebrew  roots  have  not  unfrequently  been  made  to  teach 
very  false  doctrines,  forgetting  that  a  word  is  a  living  thing, 
and  having,  besides  its  root,  the  still  more  important  stcin^ 
branches,  and  products — indeed,  a  history  of  meanings.  The 
word  is  then  to  be  considered  in  its  syntactical  relations  in 
the  clause  ;  and  thus  step  by  step  the  grammatical  sense  is  to 
be  ascertained,  the  false  interpretations  eliminated,  and  the 
various  possible  ones  correctly  presented  and  classified.  Now, 
without  this  patient  study  of  words  and  clauses  no  accurate 
translation  is  possible,  no  trustworthy  exposition  can  be  made."'-* 
It  is  true  that  grammatical  exegesis  leaves  us  in  doubt  between 
many  possible  constructions  of  the  sense  ;  but  these  doubts 
will  be  solved  as  the  work  of  exegesis  goes  on,  and  then,  on 
the  other  hand,  it  eliminates  many  views  as  ungrammatical 
which  have  been  hastily  formed,  and  effectually  prevents  that 
jumping  at  conclusions  to  which  the  indolent  and  impetuous 
are  alike  inclined. 

2.  The  second  step  in  exegesis  is  Logical  and  Rhetorical  Ex- 
egesis. The  words  and  clauses  must  be  interpreted  in  accord- 
ance with  the  context,  the  developm.ent  of  the  author's  thought 
and  purpose  ;  and  also  in  accordance  with  the  principles  of 
rhetoric,  discriminating  plain  language  from  figurative,  poetry 
from  prose,  history  from  prophecy,  and  the  various  kinds  of 
history,  poetry,  and  prophecy  from  one  another.  This  is  to  be 
done  not  after  an  arbitrary  manner,  but  in  accordance  with  the 
general  laws  of  logic  and  rhetoric  th'at  apply  to  all  writings 
whatever.  Now  it  is  clear,  that  v/hilst  the  use  of  figurative 
language  has  given  occasion  to  the  mystic  and  the  dogmatist 

*Yes,  we  may  say  that  no  translation  can  be  thoroughly  understood  after  the  gen- 
eration in  which  it  was  made,  without  this  resort  to  the  original  text,  which  alone 
can  determine  in  many  cases  the  meaning  of  the  translators  themselves,  when  we 
come  upon  obsolete  terms,  or  words  whose  meanings  have  become  modified  or   lost. 


22  Exegetical  Theology^ 

for  the  most  arbitrary  and  senseless  exegesis,  yet  the  laws  of 
logic  and  rhetoric,  correctly  applied  to  the  text,  will  clip  the 
wings  of  the  fanciful,  and  destroy  the  foundations  of  the  dog- 
matist, and,  still  further,  will  serve  to  determine  many  ques- 
tions that  grammar  alone  cannot  decide,  and  hence,  more  nar- 
rowly define  the  meaning  of  the  text. 

3.  The  third  step  in  exegesis  is  Historical  Exegesis.  The 
author  must  be  interpreted  in  accordance  with  his  historical  sur- 
roundings. We  must  apply  to  the  text  the  knowledge  of  the  au- 
thor's times,  derived  from  archaeology,  geography,  chronology, 
and  general  history.  Thus  only  will  we  be  able  to  enter  upon 
the  scenery  of  the  text.  It  is  not  necessary  to  resort  to  the  his- 
tory of  exegesis ;  one's  own  observation  is  sufficient  to  show  the 
absurdities  and  the  outrageous  errors  into  which  a  neglect  of 
this  principle  leads  many  earnest  but  ignorant  men.  No  one  can 
present  the  Bible  narrative  in  the  dress  of  modern  every-day 
life  without  making  the  story  ridiculous.  And  it  must  be  so 
from  the  very  nature  of  the  case.  Historical  circumstances 
are  essential  to  the  truthfulness  and  vividness  of  the  narrative. 
Instead  of  our  transporting  Scripture  events  to  our  scenery, 
we  must  transport  ourselves  to  their  scenery,  if  we  would  cor- 
rectly understand  them  and  realize  them.  If  we  wish  to 
apply  Scripture  truth  we  may,  after  having  correctly  appre- 
hended it,  eliminate  it  from  its  historical  circumstances,  and 
then  give  it  anew  and  appropriate  form  for  practical  purposes; 
but  we  can  never  interpret  Scripture  without  historical  ex- 
egesis. This  will  serve  to  more  narrowly  define  the  meaning 
of  the  text,  and  to  eliminate  from  the  results  thus  far  attained 
in  the  exegetical  process. 

4.  The  fourth  step  in  exegesis  is  Comparative  Exegesis.  The 
results  already  gained  with  reference  to  any  particular  passage 
are  to  be  compared  with  the  results  attained  in  a  like  manner 
in  other  similar  passages  of  the  same  author,  or  other  authors 
of  the  period,  and  in  some  cases  from  other  periods  of  divine 
revelation.  Thus,  by  a  comparison  of  Scripture  with  Scripture, 
mutual  light  will  be  thrown  upon  the  passage,  the  true  con- 
ception will  be  distinguished  from  the  false,  and  the  results 
attained  adequately  supported. 

5.  The  fifth  step  in  exegesis  is  one  of  vast  importance, 
which,  for  lack  of  a    better   name,  may  be    called    Literary 


Especially  of  the  Old  Testament.  23 

Exegesis.  Great  light  is  thrown  upon  the  text  by  the  study 
of  the  views  of  those  who,  through  the  centuries,  in  the  various 
lands,  and  from  the  various  stand-points,  have  studied  the 
Scriptures.  Here  in  this  battle  ground  of  interpretation  we 
see  almost  every  view  assailed  and  defended,  so  that  mul- 
titudes of  opinions  have  been  overthrown,  never  to  reappear  ; 
others  are  weak  and  tottering — comparatively  few  still  main- 
tain the  field.  Manifestly  it  is  among  these  latter  that  we 
must  in  the  main  find  the  true  interpretation.  This  is  the  fur- 
nace into  which  the  results  thus  far  attained  by  the  exegete 
must  be  thrown,  that  its  fires  may  consume  the  hay,  straw, 
and  stubble,  and  leave  the  pure  gold  thoroughly  refined. 
Christian  divines,  Jewish  rabbins,  and  even  unbelieving  wri- 
ters, have  not  studied  the  word  of  God  for  so  many  centuries 
in  vain.  No  true  scholar  can  be  so  presumptuous  as  to  neg- 
lect their  labors.  No  interpreter  can  claim  originality  or 
freshness  of  conception,  who  has  not  familiarized  himself 
with  this  mass  of  material  that  others  have  wrought  out. 
Nay,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  the  best  check  to  presumption, 
to  know  that  every  view  that  is  worth  anything  must  pass 
through  the  furnace.  Any  exegete  who  will  accomplish 
anything,  must  know  that  he  is  to  expose  himself  to  the  fire 
that  centres  upon  any  combatant  that  will  enter  upon 
this  hotly-contested  field.  Thus,  as  from  the  study  of 
the  Scriptures  he  first  comes  into  contact  with  human 
views,  traditional  opinions,  and  dogmatic  prejudices  ;  whilst 
on  the  one  side  these  will  severely  criticize  and  overthrow 
many  of  his  results,  on  the  other  side  the  results  of  his 
faithful  study  of  the  word  of  God  will  be  a  fresh  test  of 
the  correctness  of  those  human  views  that  have  hitherto  pre- 
vailed, so  that,  from  the  acting  and  reacting  influences  of  this 
conflict,  the  truth  of  God  will  maintain  itself,  and  it  alone  will 
prevail. 

I  have  thus  far  described  these  various  steps  of  exegesis,  in 
order  that  a  clear  and  definite  conception  may  be  formed  of 
its  field  of  work — not  that  they  are  ever  to  be  represented  by 
themselves  in  any  commentary,  or  even  carried  on  independ- 
ently by  the  exegete  himself,  but  that  they  should  be  regarded 
as  the  component  parts  of  any  thorough  exegetical  process,  and 
that  although  as  a  rule  naught  but  the  results  are  to  be  pre- 


24  Exegetical  Theology, 

sented  to  the  public,  yet  these  results  imply  that  no  part  of 
the  process  has  been  neglected,  but  that  all  have  harmonized 
in  them,  if  these  are  true  and  reliable  results. 

In  advancing  now  to  the  higher  processes  of  exegesis, 
we  have  to  observe  a  marked  difference  from  the  previ- 
ous processes,  in  that  the  former  have  had  to  do  with 
the  entire  text,  these  with  only  select  portions  of  it. 
And  still  further  we  are  to  remark,  that  whilst  in  these  pro- 
cesses, the  results  are  to  be  attained  which  will  be  most 
profitable  to  the  great  masses  of  mankind,  we  must  severely 
criticize  those  who,  without  having  gone  through  the  previous 
processes  themselves,  either  use  the  labors  of  the  faithful 
exegete  without  acknowledgment,  or  else,  accepting  without 
examination  traditional  views,  build  on  an  unknown  founda- 
tion ;  for  the  world  does  not  need  theological  castles  in  the 
air,  or  theories  of  Christian  life,  but  a  solid  structure  of  divine 
truth  as  the  home  of  the  soul,  and  an  infallible  guide  for  living 
and  dying. 

6.  The  sixth  step  in  exegesis  is  Doctrinal  Exegesis,  which 
considers  the  material  thus  far  gathered  in  order  to  derive  there- 
from the  ideas  of  the  author  respecting  faith  and  morals. 
These  ideas  are  then  to  be  considered  in  their  relation  to  one 
another  in  the  section  and  chapter.  Thus  we  get  the  doctrine 
that  the  author  would  teach,  and  are  prepared  for  a  com- 
parison of  it  with  the  doctrines  of  other  passages  and  authors. 
Here  we  have  to  contend  with  a  false  method  of  searching 
for  the  so-called  spiritual  sense,  as  if  the  doctrine  could  be 
independent  of  the  form  in  which  it  is  revealed,  or,  indeed, 
so  loosely  attached  to  it,  that  the  grammar  and  logic  should 
teach  one  thing,  and  the  spiritual  sense  another  thing.  There 
can  be  no  spiritual  sense  that  does  not  accord  with  the  results 
thus  far  attained  in  the  exegetical  process.  The  true  spiritual 
sense  comes  before  the  inquiring  soul  as  the  product  of  the 
true  exegetical  methods  that  have  been  described.  As  the 
differences  of  material  become  manifest  in  the  handling  of  it, 
the  doctrine  stands  forth  as  divine  and  infallible  in  its  own 
light.  Any  other  spiritual  sense  is  false  to  the  word  of  God, 
whether  it  be  the  conceit  of  Jewish  cabbalists  or  Christian 
mystics. 

7.  The  seventh  and  final  effort  of  execresis  is  Praetieal  Exe- 


Especially  of  the  Old  Testament.  25 

gesis — that  is,  the  text  is  now  to  be  given  its  application  to  the 
faith  and  life  of  the  present.  And  here  we  must  eliminate 
not  only  the  temporal  bearings  of  the  text  from  the  eternal, 
but  also  those  elements  that  apply  to  other  persons  and  cir- 
cumstances than  those  in  hand.  And  here  all  depends  upon  the 
character  of  the  work,  whether  it  be  catechetical,  homiletical, 
evangelistic,  or  pastoral.  ^//Scripture  may  be  said  to  h^ prac- 
tical {or  some  purpose,  but  not  every  Scripture  f9r  every  purpose. 
Hence,  practical  exegesis  must  not  only  give  the  true  meaniyig 
of  the  text,  but  also  the  true  application  of  the  text  to  the  matter 
in  hand.  Here  we  have  again  to  deal  with  a  false  method 
of  seeking  edification  and  deriving  pious  reflections  from  every 
passage,  thus  constraining  the  text  to  meanings  that  it  cannot 
bear,  doing  violence  to  the  word  of  God,  which  is  not  only 
not  to  be  added  to  or  taken  from  as  a  whole,  but  also  as 
to  all  its  parts.  This  spirit  of  interpretation,  whilst  nominally 
most  reverential,  is  really  very  irreverential.  It  originates  from  a 
lack  of  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  and  a  negligence  to  use 
the  proper  methods  of  exegesis,  as  if  the  Holy  Spirit  would  re- 
veal the  sacred  mysteries  to  the  indolent,  even  if  they  should  be 
pious ;  for  whilst  he  may  hide  the  truth  from  the  irreverential 
critic,  he  cannot  be  expected  to  reveal  it  except  to  those  who  not 
only  have  piety,  but  also  search  for  it  as  for  hidden  treasures. 
This  indolence  and  presumptuous  reliance  upon  the  Holy  Spirit, 
which  too  often  proves  to  be  a  dependence  upon  one's  own 
conceits  and  fancies,  has  brought  disgrace  upon  the  word 
of  God,  as  if  it  could  be  manifold  in  sense,  or  was  able  to 
prove  anything  that  might  be  asked  of  it.  Nay,  still  worse, 
it  leads  the  preacher  to  burden  his  discourse  with  material 
which,  however  good  it  may  be  in  itself,  not  only  has  no  con- 
nection with  the  text,  but  no  practical  application  to  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  hour,  or  the  needs  of  the  congregation. 
Over  against  this  abuse  of  the  Scriptures,  the  exegete  learns 
to  use  it  properly,  and  whilst  he  cannot  find  everywhere  what 
he  needs,  yet  he  can  find  by  searching  for  it,  far  more  and 
better  than  he  needs  ;  yes,  he  will  learn,  as  he  studies  the  word, 
that  it  needs  no  forcing,  but  aptly  and  exactly  satisfies  with 
appropriate  material  every  phase  of  Christian  experience, 
gently  clears  away  every  shadov/  of  difficulty  that  may  disturb 
the  inquiring  spirit,  proving  itself  sufficient  for  each  and  every 
one,  and  abundantly  ample  for  all  mankind. 


26  Exegctical  Theology^ 

We  thus  have  endeavored  to  consider  the  various  processes 
of  exegesis  by  which  results  are  attained  of  essential  impor- 
tance to  all  the  other  departments  of  theology.  The  work  of 
the  exegete  is  foundation  work.  It  is  the  work  of  the  study, 
and  not  of  the  pulpit,  or  the  platform.  It  brings  forth  treas- 
ures new  and  old  from  the  word  of  God,  to  enrich  the  more 
prominent  and  public  branches  of  theology.  It  finds  the 
nugget  of  gold  that  they  are  to  coin  into  the  current  con- 
ceptions of  the  times.  It  brings  forth  ore  that  they  are  to  work 
into  the  vessels  or  ornaments,  that  may  minister  comfort  to 
the  household  and  adorn  the  home  and  the  person.  It  gains 
the  precious  gems  that  are  to  be  set  by  these  jewelers,  in  or- 
der that  their  lustre  and  beauty  may  become  manifest  and 
admired  of  all.  Some  think  it  strange  that  the  word  of  God 
does  not  at  once  reveal  a  system  of  theology^  or  give  us  a 
confession  of  faith,  or  eateehisni.  But  experience  shows  us 
that  no  body  of  divinity  can  answer  more  than  its  generation  ; 
no  catechism  or  confession  of  faith  but  what  will  in  time 
become  obsolete  and  powerless,  remaining  as  historical  monu- 
ments and  symbols,  as  the  worn  and  tattered  banners  that 
our  veterans  or  honored  sires  have  carried  victoriously  through 
the  campaigns  of  the  past — but  not  suited  entirely  for  their  de- 
scendants. Each  age  has  its  own  peculiar  work  and  needs,  and 
it  is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  not  even  the  Bible  could  devote 
itself  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  wants  of  any  par- 
ticular age,  without  thereby  sacrificing  its  value  as  the 
book  of  all  ages.  It  is  sufficient  that  the  Bible  gives  us  the 
material  for  all  ages,  and  leaves  to  man  the  noble  task  of 
shaping  that  material  so  as  to  suit  the  wants  of  his  own  time. 
The  w^ord  ot  God  thus  is  given  to  us  in  the  Bible,  as  his 
truth  is  displayed  in  physical  nature — in  an  immense  and 
varied  store-house  of  material.  We  must  search  in  order  to 
find  what  we  require  for  our  soul's  food,  not  expecting  to 
employ  the  whole,  but  recognizing  that  as  there  is  enough 
for  us,  so  there  is  sufficient  for  all  mankind  and  for  all  a^es,  in 
its  diversities  appropriate  for  the  various  types  of  human 
character,  the  various  phases  of  human  experience,  so  that  no 
race,  no  generation,  no  man,  w^oman,  or  child,  but  what  may 
find  in  the  Scriptures  the  true  soul-food,  material  of  abounding 
wealth,  surpassing  all  the  powers  of  human  thought  and  all  the 
requirements  of  human  life. 


Especially  of  the  Old  Testament.  27 

The  work  of  Exegetical  Theology  does  not  end,  however, 
with  the  work  of  Biblical  Exegesis,  but  advances  to  its  con- 
clusion in  Biblical  Theology.  Exegetical  Theology  not  only 
in  the  department  of  Biblical  Exegesis  produces  the  material 
to  be  used  in  the  other  department  of  theology  in  a  confused 
and  chaotic  state,  but  it  has  its  own  highest  problem  to  solve, 
in  the  thorough  arrangement  of  that  material  in  accordance 
with  its  own  synthetic  method.  As  there  is  a  history  in  the 
Bible,  an  unfolding  of  divine  revelation,  a  unity,  and  a  wonder- 
ful variety,  so  Exegetical  Theology  cannot  stop  until  it  has 
arranged  the  Biblical  material  in  accordance  with  its  historical 
position,  and  its  relative  value  in  the  one  structure  of  divine 
revelation.  And  here,  first,  we  see  the  culmination  of  the 
exegetical  process,  as  all  its  departments  pour  their  treasures 
into  this  basin,  where  they  flow  together  and  become  com- 
pacted into  one  organic  whole — for  Biblical  Theology  rises 
from  the  exegesis  of  verses,  sections,  and  chapters,  to  the 
higher  exegesis  of  writings,  authors,  periods,  and  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testaments  as  wholes,  until  the  Bible  is  discerned 
as  an  organism,  complete  and  symmetrical,  one  as  God  is  one, 
and  yet  as  various  as  mankind  is  various,  and  thus  only  divino- 
human  as  the  complete  revelation  of  the  God-man. 

In  this  respect  Biblical  Theology  demands  its  place  in  the- 
ological study  as  the  highest  attainment  of  exegesis.  It  is 
true  that  it  has  been  claimed  that  the  history  of  Biblical  Doc- 
trine, as  a  subordinate  branch  of  Historical  Theology,  fully 
answers  its  purpose;  and  again,  that  Biblical  Dogmatics,  as  the 
fundamental  part  of  Systematic  Theology,  covers  its  ground  ; 
and,  indeed,  these  branches  of  the  sister  grand  divisions  of 
theology  do  deal  with  many  of  its  questions  and  handle  much 
of  its  material.  But  this  is  simply  for  the  reason,  that  Biblical 
Theology  is  the  highest  point  of  exegesis,  where  the  most 
suitable  transition  is  made  to  the  other  departments ;  but  it 
does  not,  it  cannot,  belong  to  either  of  them.  As  Biblical 
Theology  was  not  the  product  of  Historical  or  Systematic  The- 
ology, but  was  born  in  the  throes  of  the  exegetical  process  of 
the  last  century,  so  it  is  the  child  of  exegesis,  and  can  flourish 
only  in  her  own  home.  The  idea,  methods,  aims,  and,  indeed, 
results,  are  entirely  different  from  those  presented  in  the  above- 
mentioned  parts  of  Historical  and  Systematic  Theology.     It 


28  Exegetical  TJieology, 

does  not  give  us  a  history  of  doctrine,  although  it  does  not 
neglect  the  historical  method  in  the  unfolding  of  the  doctrine. 
It  does  not  seek  the  history  of  the  doctrine,  but  \\i^  formation ^ 
the  organization,  of  the  doctrine  in  history.  It  does  not  aim 
to  present  the  Systematic  Theology  of  the  Bible,  and  thus 
arrange  Biblical  doctrine  in  the  forms  that  Systematic  Theology 
must  assume  for  the  purposes  of  the  day ;  but  in  accordance 
with  its  synthetic  method  of  seeking  the  unity  in  the  variety, 
it  endeavors  to  show  the  Biblical  system  of  doctrine,  the  form 
assumed  by  theology  in  the  Bible  itself,  the.organization  of  the 
doctrines  of  faith  and  morals  in  the  histprical  divine  revelation. 
It  thus  considers  the  doctrine  at  its  first  historical  appearance^ 
examines  its  formation  and  its  relation  to  others  in  the  struc- 
ture, then  traces  the  formation  as  it  unfolds  in  history,  sees  it 
evolving  by  its  own  inherent  vitality,  as  well  as  receiving  con- 
stant accretions,  ever  assuming  fuller,  richer,  grander  propor- 
tions, until  in  the  revelation  of  the  New  Testament  the 
organization  has  become  complete  and  finished.  It  thus  not 
only  distinguishes  a  theology  of  periods,  but  a  theology  of 
authors  and  writings,  and  shows  how  they  harmonize  in  the 
one  complete  revelation  of  God.'^  Now  it  is  manifest  that  it 
is  only  from  this  elevated  standpoint  that  many  important  ques- 
tions can  be  settled,  such  as  the  relation  of  the  Old  Testament 
to  the  New  Testament — a  fundamental  question  for  all  depart- 
ments of  theology.  It  is  only  when  we  recognize  the  New 
Testament  as  not  only  the  historical  fulfillment  of  the  Old 
Testament,  but  also  as  its  ^.r^^^Y/V^/ completion,  that  the  unity 
and  the  harinony,  all  the  grander  for  the  variety  and  the  diver- 
sity of  the  Scriptures,  become  more  and  more  manifest  and 
evident.  It  is  only  from  this  standpoint  that  the  appar- 
ently contradictory  views,  as,  for  instance,  of  Paul  and  James,, 
in  the  article  of  justification,  may  be  reconciled  in  their  dif- 
ference of  types.  It  is  only  here  that  a  true  doctrine  of 
inspiration  can  be  given,  properly  distinguishing  the  divine 
and  human  elements,  and  yet  recognizing  them  in  their 
union.  It  is  only  thereby  that  the  zveight  of  authority  of  the 
Scripture  can  be  fully  felt,  and  the  consistency  of  the  in- 
fallible    Canon    invincibly    maintained.      It    is    only  in    this 


See  my  article  on  Biblical  Theology,  in  Am.  Presb.  Revieiv,  1870. 


Especially  of  the  Old  Testament.  29 

culminating  work  that  the  preliminary  processes  of  exege- 
sis may  be  delivered  from  all  the  imperfections  and  errors 
that  still  cling  to  the  most  faithful  work  of  the  exegete.  It  is 
only  from  these  hands  that  history  receives  its  true  keys, 
systematic  theology  its  indestructible  pillars,  and  practical 
theology  its  all-conquering  weapons. 

Thus  Exegetical  Theology  is  a  theological  discipline,  which, 
in  its  various  departments,  presents  an  inexhaustible  .field  of 
labor,  where  the  most  ambitious  may  work  with  a  sure  prospect 
of  success,  and  where  the  faithful  disciple  of  the  Lord  may 
rejoice  in  the  most  intimate  fellowship  with  the  Master,  di- 
vine truths  being  received  immediately  from  the  divine  hand, 
old  truths  being  illuminated  with  fresh  meaning,  new  truths 
tilling  the  soul  with  indescribable  delight.  The  Bible  is  not 
a  field  whose  treasures  have  been  exhausted,  for  they  are 
inexhaustible.  As  in  the  past  holy  men  have  found  among 
these  treasures  jewels  of  priceless  value  ;  as  Athanasius,  Au- 
gustine, Anselm,  Luther,  and  Calvin,  have  derived  therefrom 
neiv  doctrines  that  have  given  shape  not  only  to  the.  church, 
but  to  the  world  ;  so  it  is  not  too  much  to  expect  that  even 
greater  saints  than  these  may  yet  go  forth  from  their  retire- 
ment, where  they  have  been  alone  in  communion  with  God 
through  his  word,  holding  up  before  the  world  some  nezv 
doctrine,  freshly  derived  from  the  ancient  writings,  which, 
although  hitherto  overlooked,  will  prove  to  be  the  necessary 
complement  of  all  the  previous  knowledge  of  the  church, 
and,  indeed,  no  less  essential  to  its  life,  growth,  and  progress 
than  the  Athanasian  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  the  Augustinian 
doctrine  of  sin,  or  the  Protestant  doctrine  of  justification 
through  faith. 

In  presenting  to  you  and  to  myself  this  ideal  of  the  work 
set  before  us,  it  is  deeply  painful  to  reflect  how  incapable  we 
are  of  attaining  even  this  standard.  It  almost  seems  presump- 
tuous in  me  to  hold  it  up,  as  if  inviting  attention  to  the  wounds 
of  the  church  and  my  own  short-comings.  I  can  only  say  for 
myself,  that  whilst  as  in  a  mirror  it  shows  me  my  deficiencies, 
it  yet  looks  down  upon  me  from  an  apparently  inaccessible 
height,  inviting  me  to  come  up  hither  to  higher  attainments 
and  nobler  results.     And  with  reference  to  the  church,  we  raise 


30  Exegetical  Theology. 

the  lofty  standard,  that  the  young  men  may  gather  about  it,  that 
the  directors,  the  faculty,  and  the  alumni,  of  this  institution 
may  encourage  us  to  go  forward.  And  we  are  firmly  persuaded,, 
that  this  noble  institution,  with  such  a  metropolitan  situation, 
such  a  princely  endowment,  such  a  suggestive  name,  and  such 
a  blessed  history,  will  take  its  part  in  this  advance  in  our 
country,  and  co-operate  with  our  Christian  brethren  through- 
out the  world. 


GAYLAMOUNT 

PAMPHLET   BINDER 

Manu/aalured  iy 

GAYLORD  BROS.  inc. 

Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

Stoc4(lon,  G«lff. 


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